Valve-gear



Patented 1an. lo, |399;-l J. n. wnons.

No. almas.

VALVE GEAR.

(Application led Ear. 7', X898.;

(No Model.)

wiigcsscs I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES IIENERY'IVOODS, OF LUMBER, ARKANSAS.

VALVE-G EAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 617,383, dated January 10, 1899.

Application iilecl March 7, 1898. Serial No. 672,911. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HENERY VOODS, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Lumber, in the county of Columbia and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Valve-Gear, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to valve-gears particularly adapted for locomotive-engines, the object in view being to provide a valve motion whereby the connections may be arranged compactly to adapt the same for use in connection with locomotive-engines having short valve-stems.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a combination and arrangement of parts for communicating motion to the valvestem as to provide for giving the valve any desired length of stroke irrespective of the length of the valve-stem or the space in which the valve-gear must be disposed.

A further object of lthe invention is to provide simple and eiiicient means in connection with the valve-gear for reversing the engine, the means whereby this reversal is accomplished beingV exposed to facilitate access thereto.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of a valve-gear constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same as shown when applied to a double or locomotive engine.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings.

My invention contemplates the construction of a valve-gear comprising the minimum number of parts and so arranged relatively to the parts of the engine as to occupy the minimum space without interfering with the communication of a stroke of the required length to the valve, and as it is in locomotiveengines that the greatest difficulty is experienced in providing a compact reversingvalve gear I have deemed it advisable to show the mechanism embodying the essential engine, wherein l designates the valve-chest 2, the cylinder; 3, a driving or other wheel axle,

(which may be arranged either in front or in rear of the valve-chest, so far as the merits of my invention are-affected thereby,) and 4 an eccentric for actuating a connecting-rod 5.

The connecting-rod in the improved construction serves as a means for communicating motion to a crankedrock-shaft 6, having an inner crank 7, arranged in any suitable position to suit the direction of the application of power bythe connecting-rod, and having an outer crank 8 for communicating motion to a valve-stem. Obviously this mechanism should be duplicated at the opposite side of Athe engine to suit the double construction thereof, the inner crank serving as a means whereby motion may be communicated to the rocker from any suitable rotary shaft or axle of the engine, whether that shaft is located in front or in rear or above or below the rocker.

The valve-stem is of sectional construction,

and comprises a member 9, which I will term intermediate point, as shown at 12, said stem members having pivotal connection with the link, and one of them, as the valve member l0, having a sliding or adjustable connection with the link to vary the interval between its point of connection and the fulcrum-point of the link and also enable said pivotal point of connection to be arranged upon either side of the fulcrum of the link to reverse the engine, it being obvious that the motion of the valve when the connection is above the fulcrum will be the opposite of that which will be imparted to the valve when the point of connection is below the fulcrum.

The structure thus far described is such as to be practically independent of any considerable distance between the rock-shaft and IOO the valve-chest, for the reason that the rocker member of the valve-stem maybe connected with the link at any desired distance from the fulcrum thereof to give the required throw to the link, and hence to the valve member of the stem, and the adjustment of the extremity of the valve member with relation to the link to communicate the desired throw to the valve with a given throw of the link may be accomplished by any suitable means, such as a reversing-lever 13, mounted upon a standard 14 and terminally connected by a rod 15 with the block 16, which is fitted to slide in the slot 17 of the link. Any suitable means may be employed for holding the reversing-lever in the desired position to maintain the slide at the required point in the slot of the link.

From the above description it will be seen that the rock-shaft, which forms an intermediate member of the connections between the cam-shaft and the valve-stem, enables me to use a short valve-stem irrespective of the position of the eccentric, and yet obtain any desired throw of the steamfvalve. Also by this arrangement the link, which is arranged at an intermediate point of the valve-stem, (being used in direct connection with the valve-stem instead of in connection with a connecting-rod, as in the ordinary construcels/,383

tion,) is exposed exteriorly of the engine, Where it is accessible to the engineer.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

I'Iaving described my invention, what I claim is In a reversing-valve gear, the combination of a rock-shaft having oppositely-extending terminal crank-arms, means operatively connected with one of the crank-arms for imparting movement to the rock-shaft, a slotted link disposed between the engine-cylinder and rock-shaft, a rocker member connecting the other crank-arm of the rock-shaft with the link, a block slidably mounted in the slotted link, a valve member connecting said block with the valve, and means for shifting the block and holding it in an adjusted position, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HENERY WOODS.

IVitnesses:

F. M. CLIME, V. M. Davis. 

